1989 in science

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The year1989 in scienceand technology involved many significant events, some listed below.

Astronomy

• August –Asteroid4769 Castaliais the first asteroid directly imaged, by radar fromArecibo.
• August 25 – TheVoyager 2spacecraft makes its closest approach toNeptune,providing definitive proof ofthe planet's rings.
• September 5 –Pluto–Charonbarycentrecomes toperihelion.
• Asteroid 5128 Wakabayashiis discovered byMasahiro Koishikawa.
• 4292 Aobais discovered.
• 4871 Riversideis discovered.
• 6089 Izumiis discovered.
• 6190 Rennesis discovered
• 8084 Dallasis discovered.

Biology

• Discovery of thecystic fibrosistrans-membrane conductance regulatorgene.
• The New ZealandDepartment of Conservationbegins to implement aKākāpōRecovery Plan.

Computer science

• March 12 –Tim Berners-Leesubmits a memorandum, titled "Information Management: A Proposal", to the management atCERNfor a system that would eventually become theWorld Wide Web.
• June 8 –GNU Bashis released.
• July 26 – A federalgrand juryindictsCornell UniversitystudentRobert Tappan Morris, Jr.for releasing acomputer virus,making him the first person to be prosecuted under the 1986Computer Fraud and Abuse Actin theUnited States.

Environment

• The global concentration ofcarbon dioxide in Earth's atmospherereaches 350 ppm (parts per million) by volume.

Physics

• January –Supplee's paradoxis published.
• March 23 –Stanley PonsandMartin Fleischmannannouncecold fusionat theUniversity of Utah.

Physiology and medicine

• The Oxford Database of Perinatal Trialsbegins publishing online.
• Thehepatitis C virus(HCV) is first identified byMichael Houghtonand his team.

Technology

• July 17 – TheNorthrop Grumman B-2 Spirit"StealthBomber"aircraft, developed for theUnited States Air Force,first flies.
• Isamu Akasakiproduces the firstGallium nitridep-n junction blue/UVlight-emitting diode.

Awards

• Nobel Prizes
  • Physics–Norman F. Ramsey,Hans G. Dehmelt,Wolfgang Paul
  • Chemistry–Sidney Altman,Thomas R. Cech
  • Medicine–J. Michael Bishop,Harold E. Varmus
• Turing Award–William (Velvel) Kahan

Births

• May 9 –Katie Bouman,American computer imaging scientist

Deaths

• February 27 –Konrad Lorenz(born1903), Austrianzoologist.
• March 18 – SirHarold Jeffreys(born1891), Englishmathematician.
• April 24 –Horace Hodes(born1907), American medical researcher.
• August 10 –Isabella Forshall(born1900), Englishpediatric surgeon.
• August 12 –William Shockley(born1910), Americanphysicist.
• August 20 –George Adamson(born1906), Britishwildlife conservationist.
• August 29 – SirPeter Scott(born1909), English wildlife conservationist.
• October 11 –M. King Hubbert(born1903), Americangeophysicist.
• October 28 –Louise Hay(born1935), French-born American mathematician; breast cancer.
• December 14 –Andrei Sakharov(born1921), Soviet Russiannuclearphysicistand political dissident.